Palo Alto Weekly

Online This Week

These and other news stories were posted on Palo Alto Online throughout the week. For longer versions, go to www.PaloAltoOnline.com/news or click on "News" in the green, left-hand column.

Dry weekend expected post-Thanksgiving Day

If you plan to be one of the millions of Californians traveling this holiday weekend, get your umbrella ready and brace for delays. (Posted Nov. 22 at 1:14 p.m.)

One in six Palo Alto grads attends Foothill-De Anza

About one in six Gunn or Palo Alto high school graduates goes directly to Foothill or De Anza community college, according to the college chancellor. Linda Thor spoke at a reception in Palo Alto Sunday afternoon (Nov. 20). (Posted Nov. 22 at 9:28 a.m.)

Simitian aide arrested for drunkenness, vandalism

A senior field representative to California Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) was arrested for public drunkenness and vandalism on Nov. 13 after two police officers witnessed him lift a city-owned concrete cigarette receptacle and smash it on the sidewalk, according to Palo Alto police. (Posted Nov. 21 at 10:49 a.m.)

Body found in Palo Alto Baylands

A person who was found dead in the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve on Sunday morning (Nov. 20) died of an apparent suicide, police spokesman Lt. Zach Perron said Monday (Nov. 21). (Posted Nov. 21 at 9:43 a.m.)

VMware unveils plan for massive campus expansion

Palo Alto's cloud-computing giant VMware is planning to dramatically expand its Stanford Research Park property by adding six buildings and two garages to its "campus in the forest." (Posted Nov. 21 9:36 a.m.)

Clothes dryer causes Palo Alto house fire

A malfunctioning clothes dryer caused a home fire on Moreno Avenue on Friday afternoon (Nov. 18), according to the Palo Alto Fire Department. (Posted Nov. 19 at 8:28 p.m.)

Contaminated lettuce recalled

Some brands of bagged romaine lettuce salads are being recalled due to contamination with a strain of E. coli, according to state health department officials. (Posted Nov. 19 at 7:48 p.m.)

Palo Alto has to halt its plan to reduce lanes on California Avenue and reconsider its environmental analysis of the streetscaping plan for the business district, a Santa Clara Superior Court judge ruled earlier this month. (Posted Nov. 18 at 9:53 a.m.)

Water-board member quits his day job

A locally elected water-board member has quit his day job with an environmental organization, citing, in part, "a little more conflict than I'd anticipated."(Posted Nov. 18 at 9:56 a.m.)

Open-space district surpasses 60,000 acres

A 270-acre farm near Half Moon Bay will bump the amount of preserved open space managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to 60,000 acres, district officials announced Thursday (Nov. 17). (Posted Nov. 18 at 9:18 a.m.)